Emergency responders in western Wisconsin are raising the alarm after seeing a sudden spike in drug overdoses in recent weeks. It’s significant enough for authorities in La Crosse to warrant a public safety alert by emergency responders.

Chris Eberlein, an emergency medical physician at Emplify Health in La Crosse, said the number of overdoses cases his team treats has more than tripled since late July. Eberlein, who oversees Emplify’s ambulance services across western Wisconsin and parts of Minnesota and Iowa, said the emergency response teams typically field one to three overdose cases a week.

But in recent weeks, it’s been eight to 10 per week, and he grows concerned when overdose cases begin to increase in quick succession.

“This is not safe right now, and we’ve got to take extra pr

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